A plan to place a large generator in the Sportsplex in Fergus for emergency power was defeated 4-2 here on May 14 when Centre Wellington council decided it could not afford such a project.
A generator big enough to operate all the hydro at the Sportsplex would cost $147,524, after a federal Joint Emergency Preparedness Program (JEPP) grant of just over $25,000.
Parks and recreation director Andie Goldie explained the township has held several emergency preparedness committee meetings and decided the Sportsplex is the best place for such things as a shelter in the event of an emergency. He said mock exercises that township officials used indicated the centre is the best place for large numbers of people.
Further, Goldie said, there are often large numbers of people on the 60 acre property and to have the entire centre wired for power by a generator enables emergency operations to best care for them.
“One of the key issues that has been raised is the lack of emergency power at the Sportsplex, especially as it is the designated emergency shelter for the township,” Goldie said in his written report.
He said the emergency management committee has been working with its electrical contractor and Centre Wellington Hydro’s general manager Doug Sherwood to prepare the estimates for the project.
Goldie explained the JEPP grants usually do not exceed $10,000 and the township applied for two of them last fall. The federal government recently announced the program is ending and the deadline for application approval is the end of May.
He said the township was recently informed it is eligible for just over $25,000, and given the usual restrictions, “Centre Wellington’s application has been viewed very favourably.”
Goldie said in his report the Sportsplex could be used for winter ice storms, summer heat waves when there is hydro interruption, and the ice pads could even be used as a temporary morgue if necessary.
He said keeping full power in the building means after the emergency, it can be back running in days and starting to collect revenue again. Without that power, under some circumstances, the centre could take weeks to get running again.
But several councillors had objections to the timing of the project as well as its scope.
Councillor Walt Visser called it “a very expensive solution to a need … It’s really over the top.”
Councillor Steve Vanleeuwen said, “At the end of the day, we can’t afford more free money.”
He wondered if a diesel generator would not be large enough to supply hydro as needed. He added it could even be supplied using a tractor.
Goldie said it is difficult to separate parts of the project because the building would have to be rewired to accommodate generator power, no matter the source.
Vanleeuwen asked if some othersource of power could be used.
Sherwood said the committee had not really considered it because the horsepower needed to supply the building would be “huge.”
Councillor Kelly Linton said he had not heard anything discussed about this issue when the budget was considered.
That proved to be a sore point with several councillors, considering the project request was coming only weeks after council approved passed its budget. In fact, the final bylaw was considered and passed that night, and some appeared upset they would be spending outside of that budget so quickly.
Goldie said he presented the grant program and committee’s work last fall but the federal government had originally rejected any grant, so the township did not pursue the project at budget talks.
He said breaking down the project for parts of the building would be “very technical” because the township would be dealing with old and new sections. Goldie explained, too, if the generator had been included in the expansion of the Sportsplex a decade ago, it could have been installed much cheaper than it can be today.
Vanleeuween wondered what would happen if a tornado carried a tree onto the building.
Goldie said it would depend on what part of the building was affected, and said the committee has dealt with “a long list” of possible emergencies.
Councillor Fred Morris said, “We’re struggling here with the dollar value. Are there any other uses for a generator at the Sportsplex?”
Goldie said the Lucan arena cost $118,000 for a generator while in South Huron the cost was only $49,000 because a generator was installed during renovations there.
Linton asked if the township would have to run the entire Sportsplex at the level it is running at right now, or could the township use “basic pieces only.” He said that would “probably lower the cost.” Goldie said the pool and ice compressors are large, and they could require a lot of power. In the end, he said, “Council needs to decide how far to go with risks. Other centres are envious of the amount of activities we have.”
He said the funding could come from the general capital reserves, a fund the township keeps for funds left over from other capital projects. Goldie said it is used “to fund projects that come up during the year that council wants to do.”
Visser said he is most amazed at how soon after the budget the issue came to council and staff struggled to find even $60,000. He said staff can now find much more, but next year council is asking staff to reduce operating expenses by $1 million.
Morris said it is unfair to compare the two because this money would not be coming from the operating budget.
Councillor Mary Lloyd said it could be vital to be able to put up 30,000 people in the building if an emergency occurred, say, during the Scottish Festival and Highland Games, but the project is “a huge problem for us.”
McElwain said, “I’m not sure we’re not overdoing it.”
He wondered why the project could simply not have been in the budget in the first place, where that need could be compared against all other needs. He suggested that policy be considered for the next budget.
Goldie said the money would be for the emergency management committee and not the parks and recreation budget, but he added, “I fully appreciate” the difficulty council is having.
Lloyd noted the short deadline to obtain the federal funding and asked if there is a cheaper way to do the project.
“I’m not feeling comfortable for a vote without and investigation,” she said.
Goldie said the approval might be rescinded if the project is altered, and there will be no further cash from the program. He was unsure the project could be altered.
Fire Chief Brad Patton said it is likely the project would be dropped if it is altered.
Goldie said the township is fortunate to get a grant of over $25,000 “but I realize that is a small amount compared to the larger” cost of $147,000 to the township. Morris said he understands the issue and “Emergency preparedness is an issue that is here to stay. Disasters are more frequent than they have been in the past. There is no question in my mind … I will always put the safety of my community first.” But Vanleeuwen replied, “That excuse can be used for every road” in his ward. He said he is not opposed to providing power to the Sportsplex, but he is opposed to the cost.
McElwain supported Morris’s comments, but said of the process, “When it comes to us this way, it looks like the back door.”
Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj agreed, but added that Goldie’s report is accurate, and no one was sneaking anything in. She said the Sportsplex could be used for other communities in emergencies, as well as locally.
When Ross-Zuj called the vote, only McElwain and Morris were in favour, with Linton, Vanleeuwen, Visser and Lloyd opposed.
“I hope you guys can sleep tonight,” concluded Ross-Zuj.
